Metaphysical Art

Metaphysical art (Italian Pittura metafisica) is an Italian tendency of the early twentieth century, founded around 1911 to 1917 by Giorgio de Chirico and developed together with Carlo Carrà and Giorgio Morandi. Its characteristic images are deserted, coldly lit arcaded squares with elongated shadows, classical architecture, towers, faceless mannequins and unexpected combinations of ordinary objects wrenched from their usual context. These dreamlike, ominously frozen scenes radiate a sense of silence, anxiety and hidden mystery behind the surface of the visible world — hence the name 'metaphysical', that which lies beyond the physical. De Chirico sought to reveal the enigmatic, unreal essence of things, freeing them from logic and practical purpose. Although the movement was short-lived, its influence was immense: metaphysical painting became one of the principal sources of inspiration for the Surrealists, notably René Magritte and Salvador Dalí. Metaphysical art opened the way to the exploration of the unconscious, the dream and estrangement in modern painting.